Russia vows to boost cooperation with other countries despite sanctions

MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia is going to develop cooperation with other countries and defend its positions in the World Trade Organization (WTO) despite the sanctions imposed by the United States, Kremlin said Monday.

"The U.S. threatens to impose sanctions over nearly any action Russia undertakes. But this would not tame Moscow's moves to develop cooperation with other countries," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He added that Russia will mobilize all options to defend its positions within the WTO.

"As a WTO member, Russia will use all possibilities envisaged by the organization for resisting (the sanctions) and protecting its positions," Peskov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

He said any WTO member country has the right to use the set of measures and instruments of the WTO and demand other countries explain their actions.

Peskov also said intensive work is in progress for possible delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

"As soon as all the necessary details are confirmed, the implementation will be carried out immediately," according to the spokesman.

An European Union (EU) official said the EU could file a lawsuit to the WTO against Moscow on its food import ban, while an EU's working group has begun assessing the damage and will prepare a report by Aug. 14 of their potential influence on the European agrarian market, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The Russian government on Thursday imposed a one-year ban on imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from Australia, Canada, the EU, the United States and Norway in retaliation for the Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.